Updated: Critique my rough trip plan - 4 and 2 1/2 y.o boys

[stainbas]

UPDATE: Great feedback! I'll be making some changes from what's written below, namely (1) less Sea World and (2) more Epcot. I have some followup questions re AK and Halloween party timing further down the thread. Thanks again. Super helpful! (OP below the asterisks)

******

First timers at Disney. My sons are 2 1/2 y.o. (closer to 3), and 4 and a half, and I'd love thoughts from the more experienced. The older one is OBSESSED with Star Wars, so Jedi Training is a must.

We're staying at AKL. Our first night's stay in Disney is October 20 (Sunday), and we have a flight leaving late in the day on Saturday, October 26. We have five days of tix w/ the Parkhopper option. We will actually be arriving in Florida on Friday the 18th and will stay in St. Pete's a couple of nights with friends, so we can arrive on Sunday any time we want.

1. Sunday Oct 20 - Maybe go to Sea World in the a.m. Arrive at WDW, check in. Go to Downtown Disney and hang out/eat dinner. Query - a 4:00 res is (was?) available for Hoop de Doo review. Maybe see that the first night instead of going downtown? OR, there's a Halloween party that night, though that might be a weird introduction to the MK.

2. Monday, October 21 - AK (EMH that day) - hit the Safari ride early, do Nemo, etc. IF we have the energy, maybe hit another park that evening for a Fireworks show.

3. Tuesday, October 22 - Hollywood Studios. Arrive at the gate at 8 a.m. armed with snacks, books, etc. The second the rope drops, my older one and I will go straight to the Jedi signup, while my husband and the younger one will grab Fast Passes to Toy Story. If for some reason the Jedi Signup doesn't work out, we can try again on Friday.

4. Wednesday, October 23 - 8:15 breakfast at Chef Mickey's. Take a break from the Disney parks that day. Maybe go to Sea World, or hang out at the pool weather permitting. Get a babysitter and Mom and Dad have a night out.

5. Thursday, October 24 - MK (EMH that day). Get to the park as soon as it opens and hit the kids rides. We have 4:00 res for Hoop de Doo Review. Is this too early? I figured this was ok since MKL opens at 8 a.m. Note that the current plan is to hit MK again Friday for the Halloween party.

6. Friday, October 25 - Epcot a.m.; Halloween party p.m - Epcot: do the rides that are interesting to the kids, hang out at the World Showcase for the Food and Wine Fest. Leave fairly early and rest. Hit the Halloween party that night (I haven't bought tix yet. They're still available, but we're still able to switch the nights if something in this plan is off).

7. Saturday, October 26. Pack up. We should have our 5th day of tickets in case we want to return to a park.

I'd love your thoughts!

 

[detarica]

I noticed that you are not allowing for a lot of time at EPCOT, what is your thinking around that? EPCOT is probably my kids second favorite park behind MK, and it is much bigger than AK and HS, so it is time consuming to walk through. And with the food and wine festival going on, the world showcase will be an awesome and interesting thing to stroll through.

 

[detarica]

Also since the Halloween party is a late night, I would take it extremely easy that day. The party is a blast and make sure the kids dress up. There will be a lot of see and do.

And, I am going to sound like a party pooper, but I am not a fan of Sea World. I guess it is a must see for a lot of people, but we did it once, and my kids haven't asked to go when we go to Orlando. I found that when you have just been to Disney, Sea World just doesn't seem that great. The shows are corny, the animals are forced to "perform" which I find sad, and the food/snack options are not that great. If I were to take the kids back, I would go the first day of the trip so that they are not comparing it to Disney.

One thing that I think you might consider is a water park at Disney. We adore Blizzard Beach, but Typhoon Lagoon is awesome too. I am not a fan of other water parks, but Disney really out did themselves with the design of the water parks.

 

[shannonstar]

1. Sunday Oct 20 - I would go to the Halloween Party the first night. We always try to hit the MVMCP our first night there and my kids love it that way.

2. Monday, October 21 - AK is a good day after that. It can be done easily in a day and if you do go to the party, you can sleep in and still hit everything you are wanting to see.

3. Tuesday, October 22 - Hollywood Studios - You will have to take the Young one to sign up at Jedi Training. The child has to be present to sign up. Otherwise, looks good.

4. Wednesday, October 23 - A day off from the parks is never a bad thing. I'm not a Sea World person, but that might be b/c we have one nearby and go often enough that it isn't "Disney" special.

5. Thursday, October 24 - MK (EMH that day). I would think you will be plenty ready to leave MK by the time Hoop De Doo rolls around.

6. Friday, October 25 - Epcot a.m.; Halloween party p.m - I would spend more time at Epcot, which is why I suggested hitting the MNSSHP the first day.

7. Saturday, October 26. Pack up. - Hit whichever park you enjoyed the most, or head back to hit things you missed.

Overall looks great!

 

[stainbas]

Thanks for all the tips, particularly the observation that I might be undervaluing Epcot. For kids my age (2 and 4) what are some of the things at Epcot we should hit?

My original plan was just to spend time wandering the World Showcase and eating ourselves silly.

 

[maplevale]

We loved Epcot!

We went with DD4 and DD(9 months). There is the Finding Nemo ride, Turtle Talk with Crush. There are lots of Character options all around (we saw the 'big 5' plus Daisy by 9:15 one morning!). Lots of playgrounds, maze in England, the sea (fish tanks etc.)

In the afternoon we put the kids int he stroller and meandered around the world showcase - there is things to see in all the places. A few slushies and treats and they were content to take it easy (little one napped)

 

[MSSANDRA]

A couple of thoughts:

Sea World...are you trying to decide between the two mentioned days? Assuming you are not thinking two days there. If you want a down day in the middle , going to sea world is really no less tiring than a WDW park. Between the two days, I would choose the first day, but with 5 days in the parks, and really little kids, I might skip SW all together this trip.

Epcot.... my guys loved it as preschoolers. They liked Space Ship Earth , Ellen's energy ride (dinosaurs are cool), the Nemo Ride, the Living with the Land ride, Soaring, and Test Track. The little one is too small for the last two but the older one will love them. With park hopper you can spend a lot of shorter time periods there.

MVMCP- We choose not to do it with preschoolers. It's an expensive and late night when you have 5 days in the parks. If you choose to do it, I would do it on you off day and let them sleep later and insist on a good long nap. We have not been since our youngest was born. This will be his first year going to the party and he is 6.

Star Wars Training: Just be aware that Darth Vadar is BIG and pretty scary looking. You might want to sign up for the second or third show and let him watch once first . My huge SW fan backed out as a preschooler. Prompt him that he will need to answer the people when they ask him questions when you sign up. They want to be sure they are mature enough to follow directions and will not back out. Didn't work out so well for them with us

 

[amym2]

Thanks for all the tips, particularly the observation that I might be undervaluing Epcot. For kids my age (2 and 4) what are some of the things at Epcot we should hit?

My original plan was just to spend time wandering the World Showcase and eating ourselves silly.

Don't miss the model trains in Germany! And definitely Nemo, Turtle Talk, Living with the Land. Also ride Soarin and Test Track if the 4yo is tall enough.

I'd recommend you look at crowd calendars at a site such as www.easywdw.com. They recommend certain parks on certain days, and 3 of the 4 days you have listed, you are going to parks that are not recommended due to crowds. This can make a huge difference in your experience!

I'd definitely move EP to a weekday and avoid Fri-Sun because that is when locals come in for F&W and it is packed. I'd do it Mon or Thu based on the crowd calendar.

I agree with the poster who said to do MNSSHP on a rest day. You will want to have plenty of energy, plus then you are not using up a day's ticket.

Honestly I wouldn't do HDDR with a 2 and 4 year old. The comedy will go right over their heads. We waited until our kids were 9 and 7 and they loved it because they were old enough to "get" the corny humor.

If you must do Sea World, I'd do it on Sunday before you get to Disney. Nothing against Sea World, but there is plenty to do at WDW for a week. You will want to make sure you have time to swim and enjoy the AKL.

 

[Moodyzblu]

My kids have loved Epcot since they were very young and still a favorite ! We do 2 days in Epcot, easily.
Sea World .. not so much. We did it when they were 3yrs old and honestly, they didn't care for it. They would much rather a day at a water park.
MNSSHP is a very late night and so we don't go to MK until 4pm when they start letting people with party tickets in.

 

[Elleshoodat]

First timers at Disney. My sons are 2 1/2 y.o. (closer to 3), and 4 and a half, and I'd love thoughts from the more experienced. The older one is OBSESSED with Star Wars, so Jedi Training is a must.

We're staying at AKL. Our first night's stay in Disney is October 20 (Sunday), and we have a flight leaving late in the day on Saturday, October 26. We have five days of tix w/ the Parkhopper option. We will actually be arriving in Florida on Friday the 18th and will stay in St. Pete's a couple of nights with friends, so we can arrive on Sunday any time we want.

1. Sunday Oct 20 - Maybe go to Sea World in the a.m. Arrive at WDW, check in. Go to Downtown Disney and hang out/eat dinner. Query - a 4:00 res is (was?) available for Hoop de Doo review. Maybe see that the first night instead of going downtown? OR, there's a Halloween party that night, though that might be a weird introduction to the MK.

2. Monday, October 21 - AK (EMH that day) - hit the Safari ride early, do Nemo, etc. IF we have the energy, maybe hit another park that evening for a Fireworks show.

3. Tuesday, October 22 - Hollywood Studios. Arrive at the gate at 8 a.m. armed with snacks, books, etc. The second the rope drops, my older one and I will go straight to the Jedi signup, while my husband and the younger one will grab Fast Passes to Toy Story. If for some reason the Jedi Signup doesn't work out, we can try again on Friday.

4. Wednesday, October 23 - 8:15 breakfast at Chef Mickey's. Take a break from the Disney parks that day. Maybe go to Sea World, or hang out at the pool weather permitting. Get a babysitter and Mom and Dad have a night out.

5. Thursday, October 24 - MK (EMH that day). Get to the park as soon as it opens and hit the kids rides. We have 4:00 res for Hoop de Doo Review. Is this too early? I figured this was ok since MKL opens at 8 a.m. Note that the current plan is to hit MK again Friday for the Halloween party.

6. Friday, October 25 - Epcot a.m.; Halloween party p.m - Epcot: do the rides that are interesting to the kids, hang out at the World Showcase for the Food and Wine Fest. Leave fairly early and rest. Hit the Halloween party that night (I haven't bought tix yet. They're still available, but we're still able to switch the nights if something in this plan is off).

7. Saturday, October 26. Pack up. We should have our 5th day of tickets in case we want to return to a park.

I'd love your thoughts!

I feel the Magic Kingdom is too late in your week. It's an iconic Disney theme park, and it serves as a great introduction to the World for "kids" of all ages. Also, on your MK day, you are leaving at 3 -- maybe earlier -- to get to Hoop De Doo? That doesn't give you much time to explore the park, even if you are hoping to go back on a MNSSHP night.

At this age (he's almost 3), DS loves Epcot. He could spend hours looking at the aquariums after the Nemo ride, playing in the area after Journey Into Imagination, splashing in the splash pad between Future World and World Showcase, exploring the Mexico pavilion and watching the entertainment in World Showcase.

I realize all kids are different, so what interests mine may not interest yours.

 

[stainbas]

Great feedback. Based on you're thoughts, I'm going to (1) probably Skip Sea World; (2) incorporate more Epcot; and (3) rethink the schedule based on the crowd calendar (didn't know about that - it's great!).

I was wondering how much time we should spend at Animal Kingdom park, since we're staying at the lodge. If, say, we did AK on Friday, could we hit some high points and then come back in time to rest and go to the Halloween party on Friday night? That would free us up to do Epcot on Tuesday.

Alternatively, we could do AK on the early side on Tuesday and do the MK Halloween party Tuesday night, letting us recover from the Halloween party on Wednesday. If we did this, I'd probably try to arrive earlier on Sunday and hit Epcot on both Sunday and Friday (would require a 6th day of tix, but those aren't a big deal to add, right?)

If we need a full day for AK, we'll probably just head to the Halloween party on Sunday, our arrival day. We're only "arriving" from St. Pete's, where we're spending a couple of days with friends, so we can take it easy and even plan the drive to maximize the chance of a nap.

 

[williamscm3]

I might be the only person saying this but we just got back from our trip with a 3 year old and half a day in epcot could have been enough for us...he liked soarin, test track, and turtle talk. We all enjoyed dinner at biergarten...but beyond that we found it a little boring. All my son wanted to do was get on rides...there just wasn't enough there to keep him interested. I hear other people do love it though so you won't really know till you get there if your kids love it or not

 

[amym2]

Great feedback. Based on you're thoughts, I'm going to (1) probably Skip Sea World; (2) incorporate more Epcot; and (3) rethink the schedule based on the crowd calendar (didn't know about that - it's great!).

I was wondering how much time we should spend at Animal Kingdom park, since we're staying at the lodge. If, say, we did AK on Friday, could we hit some high points and then come back in time to rest and go to the Halloween party on Friday night? That would free us up to do Epcot on Tuesday.

Alternatively, we could do AK on the early side on Tuesday and do the MK Halloween party Tuesday night, letting us recover from the Halloween party on Wednesday. If we did this, I'd probably try to arrive earlier on Sunday and hit Epcot on both Sunday and Friday (would require a 6th day of tix, but those aren't a big deal to add, right?)
If we need a full day for AK, we'll probably just head to the Halloween party on Sunday, our arrival day. We're only "arriving" from St. Pete's, where we're spending a couple of days with friends, so we can take it easy and even plan the drive to maximize the chance of a nap.

I'd probably go with this option. We love AK, but some of our favorites you won't be able to do (Exp Everest, Dinosaur) and the kids will probably only sit through one show if any (go with Nemo if your kids are all sensitive to sound because Lion King is loud). Definitely do the safari and take some time to walk the trails. The Boneyard playground was a hit when our kids were younger. Since you're just a short bus ride to AKL, I'd probably leave around lunchtime and get off your feet for a few hours before heading to the party.

And no, adding a 6th day isn't difficult and will hardly cost a thing. We always go for the max number of days and make some days 1/2 days. We like to do EP in two days, one for Future World and one for World Showcase because it is so much walking. Sunday and Friday won't be ideal but if you get there early enough you can hopefully avoid some of the F&W crowds. Oh, and don't miss the boat ride in the Mexico pavilion!!

 

[Elleshoodat]

Great feedback. Based on you're thoughts, I'm going to (1) probably Skip Sea World; (2) incorporate more Epcot; and (3) rethink the schedule based on the crowd calendar (didn't know about that - it's great!).

I was wondering how much time we should spend at Animal Kingdom park, since we're staying at the lodge. If, say, we did AK on Friday, could we hit some high points and then come back in time to rest and go to the Halloween party on Friday night? That would free us up to do Epcot on Tuesday.

Alternatively, we could do AK on the early side on Tuesday and do the MK Halloween party Tuesday night, letting us recover from the Halloween party on Wednesday. If we did this, I'd probably try to arrive earlier on Sunday and hit Epcot on both Sunday and Friday (would require a 6th day of tix, but those aren't a big deal to add, right?)

If we need a full day for AK, we'll probably just head to the Halloween party on Sunday, our arrival day. We're only "arriving" from St. Pete's, where we're spending a couple of days with friends, so we can take it easy and even plan the drive to maximize the chance of a nap.

I think this plan is a good one. We usually only spend a half-day at Animal Kingdom (DS loves the safari, the trails and the Boneyard but is "meh" on everything else), then go back to the resort for swimming or to Downtown Disney. You should easily be able to fit in the Halloween party that night.

We totally plan our drives around DS' nap, too!

 

[laughinplace199]

1. Sunday Oct 20 - I would go to the Halloween Party the first night. We always try to hit the MVMCP our first night there and my kids love it that way.

2. Monday, October 21 - AK is a good day after that. It can be done easily in a day and if you do go to the party, you can sleep in and still hit everything you are wanting to see.

3. Tuesday, October 22 - Hollywood Studios - You will have to take the Young one to sign up at Jedi Training. The child has to be present to sign up. Otherwise, looks good.

4. Wednesday, October 23 - A day off from the parks is never a bad thing. I'm not a Sea World person, but that might be b/c we have one nearby and go often enough that it isn't "Disney" special.

5. Thursday, October 24 - MK (EMH that day). I would think you will be plenty ready to leave MK by the time Hoop De Doo rolls around.

6. Friday, October 25 - Epcot a.m.; Halloween party p.m - I would spend more time at Epcot, which is why I suggested hitting the MNSSHP the first day.

7. Saturday, October 26. Pack up. - Hit whichever park you enjoyed the most, or head back to hit things you missed.

Overall looks great!

I think the OP said that she was taking the older one to Jedi sign up while her DH took the younger one to TSMM to get FP. Younger one is too little for JTA.

OP, like another poster said, I'd skip Hoop Dee Doo. It's fun for older kids and adults, but the humor will be lost on kids so little and it will take a big chunk out of your MK touring.

 

[msmama]

On MK day you say "hit the kids rides" and I'm not sure what that means. You may be ready to leave by 4, but you certainly won't have seen and done everything. Is this your first trip? I think you may be underestimating the scope of Disney, lol!!

 

[whositsandwhatsits]

I am the odd one out here...but my kids loved Sea World. They just had a blast and the kiddie ride section was perfect for them. Now, we live 3 hours away from the beach and there is no decent aquarium nearby and my kids are obsessed with the fish and divers.

Having said that, all the suggestions were great. There is just SO MUCH to see and do and eat. It is amazing!